April 30, x777

Off in the outskirts of Sun City, along the middle levels where criminals were kept under lock and key, a man with long blond hair and a scar along his nose kept watch. A binocular in hand, he waited atop an old apartment complex near the city's gate and kept track of the rune knights coming and going. It looked like they were getting busy lately.

They must be getting ready to move the prisoners.

That wasn't good. It had only been a day since the incident, and things were moving too quickly. Dregg had thought they'd wait to move them until the light guilds left, but it looked like they were planning to ship all of them out and pay a little extra so the light guilds could escort them. At this rate, the prisoners would be out of Sun by the day's end.

I need to inform Dregg about this.

Kytiv sighed as he took out his lacrimal orb, knowing Dregg would be pissed at the developments. He'd already set up the dinner and packed it with an entire venue so that whoever tore down Sun City's triad couldn't fight recklessly if things came to blows.

The auction was the bait, the guests were the shield, and Dregg was the spear. Everything was perfectly set for tonight to be the end of the mystery assailant.

Now, it would probably have to be scrapped entirely; the prisoners couldn't leave Sun. Kytiv was certain Dregg would think the same.

"This is going to be a tough day," Kytiv murmured as he made the call and listened to the ringing of his lacrimal orb. Watching through the binoculars into the window of the chief of Sun City's pitiful Rune knight force. At the moment, he was talking to a large man with a green coat and a hat shielding his face from view.

"Hello, Kytiv." His boss said from the other side of the line, "What developments are there?"

Kytiv managed to get a single word out before the man in the green hat looked up and revealed a blindfold, staring straight in Kytiv's direction.

"They-"

Then the man vanished, and the orb in Kytiv's hand shattered. Destroyed before Kytiv could even tell what was going on.

"It's rude to spy, " the man in the green coat said, now standing directly next to Kytiv and holding the remains of Kytiv's lacrimal orb.

"Although since you did, " the man said, light flashing beneath his blindfold as he held out a hand. His words reverberated with powerful intentions.

"I think I'll have you tell me who you reported to."

Kytiv jumped back, an icy blue magic circle flashing beneath his feet. He had to escape.

"I have a feeling he has what I'm looking for."

He couldn't let this man's gaze point towards Dregg.

A few hours later

Amid a grand party atop Sun City, a young girl with azure blue hair and an old man with greying orange hair whispered at a pristine dining table. No guests pestered them, as specific individuals subtly nudged them out of earshot. To most partygoers, it looked like two people of different generations were having a long conversation.

To Juvia, it was a lot worse.

"You want to know what happened to Juvia yesterday? Why?" Juvia asked, "Don't you know?"

"Why would I know?"

"You were there."

"Only for the first part." Dregg held up his hands innocently, "But I have no clue for the rest of the night. That's why I'm asking you what happened. After I left you with Mako and his gang, something must've happened, right?"

"Juvia didn't do anything."

"I'm not asking what you did. I'm asking what you saw." Dregg said mid-bite, "I want to know which fool was strong enough to defeat my protégés."

"Why?"

"To offer them a job, of course," Dregg smirked.

Juvia frowned before she said, "No."

"Why not?"

"He's already on a job," Juvia said without thinking. Shutting her mouth as the man chuckled, shaking his head, "Funny, but what I'm offering isn't just any job. He could be my new bodyguard. Live it up in the high life. You just have to tell me who he is, and I'll handle the rest. Finding him won't be too hard."

"Juvia's answer is still no."

"Think very carefully." Dregg insisted, "I can give your parents everything they ever wanted. I can make them happy. All you have to do is tell me who tore down Mako's guild, and you'll be the star in their eyes—why they made it. They'll love you more than ever. Don't you want that?"

"Juvia still won't tell you."

"You're being oddly persistent." Dregg frowned, "You sure you want to keep it up? I could still have your parents killed. You want to do that for a stranger that may or may not have helped you?"

"This isn't about Juvia's parents, and if you kill them, she definitely won't tell you." Juvia said stubbornly, "No matter what you say, Juvia won't tell you."

"Why?"

"She doesn't trust you," Juvia said plainly.

The man frowned, opening his mouth to speak before a new, deeper voice cut into the mix. "Well said, but I'll speak for myself since I'm here now. I'll have to decline your offer, Mr. Basil."

The new presence, hidden from surrounding guests amidst the bustle of party gossip and music, was so sudden that Juvia nearly dropped her cup, unable to speak.

Even Dregg flinched, frowning at the man now sitting at the table after having appeared out of thin air.

"So it was you." Dregg scowled, holding up his hand to stop a nearby group of guests, his undercover guards, from approaching. "Well, the strength is there. Can I assume you're the reason that Kytiv is late? Whoever you are."

"My name's Aria, and if you're talking about the scarred man that was stalking around the prisoners, then yes. That was me." Aria observed, "I also can't help but notice you still think I'm foolish."

"Anyone that denies my offer must be."

"I fail to see the connection," Aria replied, sipping his comically tiny cup of tea, before commenting, "Still, after asking around a bit, I learned he worked for a powerful mage named Dregg Basil. He was famous for ruling the underground until about ten years ago. Since you had the second-most magic in the city, I figured it wouldn't hurt to check."

"Impressed with what you see?"

"Somewhat. It's surprising to find a mage of your caliber hiding out here, but Ishgar's a big place, "Aria shrugged, "And I've seen better from a lot younger."

"I have a hard time believing that."

"It's true." Aria held three fingers. "They aren't on your level yet, but they will be. Then they'll climb past it again and again. That's what I hope."

"I hope so, too," Dregg smirked greedily. "I'd love to meet them. Have a little heart-to-heart."

"That could be arranged," Aria finished his tea, "I heard the Lighthouse takes visitors."

"Oh really." Dregg scoffed, "I didn't take you for the comedy type."

"I'm not," Aria said, ignoring Dregg's scowl as he turned to Juvia. "Hello, Juvia. It's been a while. How have you been?"

Juvia didn't know how to speak then, especially with the attention being turned to her. She gulped, "Ju- Juvia is fine. Aria. Thank you."

"Of course, Juvia. It's good to see you again." Aria smiled, and Juvia felt a little less nervous. She smiled, and her shoulders relaxed slightly.

Just for Dregg's curiosity to make them stiffen.

"You know each other?" he asked, a smile curling on his lips. "Well, that makes sense. So he did save you, didn't he, little lady? I thought so. No wonder you were hesitant to say anything. I'm impressed."

"You are?" Juvia asked.

"Of course." Dregg said, "Loyalty is a great thing to have. It's less valuable up here, but it buys trust in the underworld, and that's worth its weight in gold. Loyalty isn't something to apologize for; even for the wrong master, loyalty itself isn't wrong. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I agree." Aria said, "Take that advice to heart, Juvia. As a mage, a sense of loyalty goes a long way. Especially when it comes to guilds."

Juvia was surprised to find herself in the middle of what seemed to be an amiable conversation, but she nodded—trying not to shrink away from Dregg's eager gaze.

"So you're a mage, little lady?" he asked. "That's very promising. I didn't unlock my magic until I was 18, and even then, it almost killed me."

"Interesting." Aria said, "You unlocked it naturally, then, I'm assuming."

"I did." Dregg sipped his wine, "I had a metal pipe the size of a bottle sticking out of my stomach, and my magic activated. It nearly finished the job." Dregg chuckled, "Innate magic is funny like that sometimes."

"I suppose it is."

"What about you, big guy?" Dregg smirked, "A mage as strong as you probably unlocked your innate magic, too, right?"

"I did." Aria pointed to his blindfold, "But in my case, I was born with it."

"Really?" Dregg asked, his eyebrow raised, and he said, genuinely shocked, "I've... I've never heard of that happening before. You aren't lying, are you?"

"I assure you, I'm not."

"Incredible," Dregg chuckled, leaning back on his chair, "Well, you have to join me now. We could do so much good together. What do you say?"

"My answer is still no," Aria said, turning to Juvia as Dregg frowned.

Juvia was lost. She didn't understand the terms they were using.

Aria caught onto her confusion quickly, "Innate magic is the magic most compatible with a mage's body. It's the magic they naturally gravitate towards. Sometimes, mages will learn it naturally, but they have to stumble at other times. Learn more about themselves. It's not always guaranteed."

"Why?" Juvia asked, surprised at how easily she could hold off her nerves when asking about magic, "Why would they have to learn it if it's natural?"

She was even more surprised when Dregg answered it.

"Because there are too many options," Dregg said, circling the cup of his finger, explaining as he saw Juvia tilt her head in confusion.

"Let's say my favorite food is steak." Dregg said, putting his fork through the last piece of chicken as he talked, "My tastebuds know it. My stomach knows it, but I don't. So when I first started looking for something to eat, I saw the richness of chicken and thought, 'That's good.' Or maybe I find potatoes and want to give them a try. Maybe the wine smells sweet, and I dip my tongue in that for a while. I get distracted by everything that isn't steak."

Dregg ate his food, clearing his plate as Juvia started to see a better picture, "If I take my time eating all these side dishes, it might take me a while to learn that my favorite dish is steak. Maybe I'll never eat steak. Perhaps I never learned it's my favorite. I just like chicken enough to believe it's my favorite and never think otherwise. Magic is similar."

Dregg finished his plate and set his fork down, "The traditional way to learn magic involves meditation and magic books. It's unlikely that someone will pick the magic book with their innate magic on the first try or second. Maybe even third. That's why when traditionally unlocking magic, there are a lot of times when the magic a mage learns isn't innate. It's just chicken. Good enough to supply."

Dregg smirked, "But if someone unlocks magic naturally, without direct guidance or books, just going off the feeling and what the body believes they need, well then it's very likely they'll unlock their innate magic. It's pretty much guaranteed. Because even if your mind thinks chicken is your favorite, your body knows it's steak. And if there are no other options, it'll serve you steak without question because that's what it likes best. Understand?"

"Sort of," Juvia mumbled, furrowing her brows as she tried to piece together what she learned, "So it's like the less someone knows about magic, the more likely they are to unlock their innate magic."

"Got it in one little lady." Dregg said, clapping softly, "It's a funny paradox if you think about it. Traditional magic is the easiest and most proven method, but it's more likely to cost you your innate magic. Still, most people don't mind the possibility and stick with their books. It's easier that way. Easier to like chicken than look for steak."

"And more reliable." Aria supplied, "There isn't a set way to unlock your magic naturally. It either happens or it doesn't. Sometimes, it's through a near-death experience. Sometimes, it's just meditating the right way at the right time. Sometimes, it's a wish or a prayer."

"No one really knows." Dregg shrugged, "But if you ask me, the most reliable way is a near-death experience. It helps clear the mind when the body is in peril. No distractions at death's door and all that."

"A crude way to put it but not a terrible notion." Aria said, finishing his tea as he set down his cup and asked, "But I suppose this conversation has dragged on long enough. Wouldn't you agree? I heard your auction is starting soon, and I feel that what I'm looking for will be up for sale."

"I've been meaning to ask, what are you looking for exactly?"

"A book, signed by Kemu Zaleon. Do you have it?"

"I do," Dregg said as the music switched to a more lively tune, violin atop quick piano keys.

"I can give it to you if you reconsider my offer." Dregg adjusted the cuffs of his suit, "What do you say?"

"My answer is still no."

"Would you reconsider if I promised to kill you otherwise?"

"No," Aria said, "I tend not to be swayed by lies."

Juvia flinched as the cup in Dregg sneered. "You're going to regret rejecting my kindness. No one has ever spit in my face like this."

"There's a first time for everything."

Dregg's face became a new shade of red, and his malicious magic pressure flooded the room, scaring some nearby guests into confused silence and striking Juvia's bones.

She shivered while Aria ignored it. He simply turned to her and said, "Things will probably get a little hectic here, but nothing will hurt you. Okay?"

Juvia didn't trust her words to escape her throat, so she just nodded. Her eyes were wide as a grey magic circle spun beneath Dregg's feet, and the silverware in the room shot toward her and Aria. Scaring the nearby partygoers, Dregg's disguised bodyguards, maybe five or six, turned towards their table and fired different shades of magic.

"Airspace Magic"

Juvia closed her eyes, waiting for the painful impact.

"Bari"

Instead, when she opened her eyes, she saw the silverware stopped stabbing against an invisible wall. The other mages' attack, from lightning to fire, splattering helplessly against the invisible barriers that seemed to surround her and Aria. The commotion of magic gradually alerted the nearby partygoers, and before she knew it, there was a crowd panicking.

"It's too crowded in here," Aria said amidst the chaos, and Juvia flinched as the large glass windows of the ballroom shattered, eliciting terrified screams as a draft began sucking everything and everyone out of the room like a vacuum. People tried to run or hold onto something, but it was impossible.

"Aria!" Juvia cried when it was her turn, trying to reach for him as she flew out the window. Hundreds of meters in the sky, she felt the rain hit her face as she looked up to the clouds and started falling. She grabbed for anything before her descent stopped.

Why isn't Juvia...

It was like a pillow of air was holding her up.

Falling?

Juvia looked around with widened eyes. She saw the rest of the partygoers in a similar situation. Floating in the air, thanks to Aria's magic, a small cyclone of air kept them from plummeting.

Juvia gulped, looking up worriedly as she saw Aria flying out of the ballroom, holding one of the guards by the face and dragging the man across a neighboring skyscraper. Smashing his face through window after window before throwing him towards a metal bridge of the middle city below, the man crashed into an unconscious heap like a fallen meteorite.

"There," Aria said, his words washing over the crowd that was too stunned to speak. They watched as he glanced back to the ballroom, "Now it's just us."

"Incredible." Dregg's voice echoed from inside, the rain nearly draining the conversation as he walked out a broken window. He floated just like Aria, rolling up his sleeves as he stood on what looked like two knives flattened against the soles of his shoes. His smile was greedy, "You got rid of all the bystanders and handled all my guards instantly. Sure you don't want to join me?"

"I'm sure."

"Pity." Dregg sneered as a large grey magic circle formed behind his back. Dregg grinned, holding out his arms. A metal armor set flew from a penthouse above, clamping onto his body like a medieval knight. Dregg chuckled.

"Execution will have to suffice."

Then, a giant grey magic circle formed beneath his feet, spinning with power as metal, from trash to treasure, began flying towards it as if attracted. Juvia watched in shock and awe, flinching as the metal wires from the bridges beneath the floating crowd started straining and screeching until they snapped, and the middle city residents screaming from atop them had to be rescued by Aria's magic.

Juvia watched, worried and terrified, as the metal bridges of Middle City swam through the air, curling into each other before shooting up toward the giant ball of metal currently forming beneath Dregg's armored shoes. The large ball of more minor metals joined the giant construction bridges to create an enormous, serpentine creature with a gaping razor-toothed maw floating in the sky with Dregg standing atop its head. It looked like a scene from a fairy tale.

"Lost Magic: Magnetism"

An old knight standing atop his metal dragon.

"Dragon of Polarity"

Dregg's dragon screeched, scratching its metal body, sending fear into the audience. Juvia covered her ears, closing her eyes as she tried to stop shivering. It was terrifying. She felt like a bug. The rain did little to help. The harsh rain droplets pattered against her head as if trying to keep her focused, keep her from hiding away.

In the end, it wasn't the rain that brought her back to reality, but Aria's casual observation.

"That isn't what a real dragon looks like," Aria said casually as if pointing it out. Stunning the crowd below and even throwing Dregg for a loop. Dregg looked stupefied at such a tame reaction, as if he didn't know whether to be confused or furious.

Aria meanwhile scratched his chin and seemed to realize something: "Wait, actually, I was wrong. I forgot that dragons are often depicted like serpents flying in the sky on the continent east of Ishgar. It's possible that they once looked like yours. In that case, your spell looks like a dragon, but it's not the one I initially thought of. I apologize for my oversight."

Aria bowed his head apologetically, and Dregg chose fury.

"TAKE THIS FUCKING SERIOUSLY!" Dregg snapped, his armored visage trembling with anger before the air seemed to go silent.

"I am," Aria said heavily, and for a second, it felt like the entire city had gone quiet. The rain fell silently as the crowd unknowingly held their breath.

Juvia held her breath, unable to think of anything else for a split second—except that Aria looked angry.

Somehow, for a split second, Aria looked scarier than the giant creature looming up in the sky.

"Dragons aren't something to joke about," Aria said deathly seriously before his shoulders relaxed.

"Just keep that in mind," Aria said softly, and the momentary scariness disappeared as quickly as it arrived. His shift to a comfortable demeanor removed the deafening silence, like a sign that the petrified crowd could finally breathe again.

Still, no one wanted to speak. To interrupt. They were too scared after the previous tension.

Even Dregg seemed to take a second to recalibrate himself before a deep chuckle echoed through his metal helmet: "I'll take that to heart."

Aria nodded, seemingly appeased by that answer, as the dragon screeched and shot forward. Its long body crashed against the skyscrapers and shattering glass panes, the destruction falling into the chasm below. Like a flying disaster, it tore through the air with Aria locked as its target. Juvia opened her mouth to scream for Aria to get out of the way.

"Aria!"

"It's okay, Juvia," Aria said, stopping her cry.

He floated quietly before the approaching dragon, "This much is manageable."

Juvia gulped as she watched a bubble of air surround his fist. The bubble shrank as if squeezed until it was packed with so much energy that it felt scary. She held her breath as the metal dragon carved through the side of a skyscraper, its gaping maw aimed at Aria.

"Airspace Magic."

Aria reared his hand back, his blindfold brimming with light that couldn't be contained. The air around him was silent as he turned his fist into an uppercut.

"Shingen no Ichigeki"

Juvia's eyes widened as the force of Aria's uppercut connected with a vicious 'crack' to the dragon's lower jaw, sending the metal behemoth and its rider flying into the sky. Dregg snarled, "THAT ALL YOU GOT? BRING IT!" before he and his creation disappeared into the dark clouds. Lightning flashed before his dragon's shadow loomed over the city, and his voice echoed like thunder, "Magnetism Magic."

The rain grew, hammering on the cowering civilians as the glint of steel fell from the clouds. They heard the dragon's screech. Lightning flashed, and the shadow of its open mouth pointed downwards, releasing a breath of sharp metal beams plummeting with every raindrop.

"Steel Hail"

Juvia watched breathlessly as sharp metal began stabbing into the nearby buildings, falling over the city like a hail of death. She saw one get close to her parents, her father covering her mother with his body before a bubble popped in front of it, and the metal shattered.

"Airspace Magic"

She looked back at Aria, surprised to see his palms upturned to the sky and quiet bubbles of air floating up to the sky. They fluttered above the city's head like a sea of petals gliding in the way of the falling metal.

"Zetsu"

As soon as the falling metal hit them, the bubbles began popping, and their explosions tore the lethal downpour out of the sky, turning the air over the city into a minefield. The volley of Dregg's attack lasted a full minute.

During that minute, it sounded like a volley of cannons had been fired directly above the city.

By the end, Juvia's ears were popped. She was sure the same was true for others, but even then, she could catch Aria's breath: "Tricky..."

She saw him look up to the sky as the wind picked up.

"I guess I could try a little." Aria lowered his blindfold, a flash of pink catching Juvia's eyes briefly before he vanished a second later with a 'pop.'

Where did he...

Juvia heard thunder above and looked up.

Oh.

Up in the clouds, explosions of air and metal echoed for miles. For the remainder of the fight, Juvia had to glimpse through the silhouettes left every time lightning crackled through the clouds. The stormy sky shielded Aria and Dregg from view.

It looked like two calamities fighting high above her. It sounded like the sky was falling. She heard the roaring creaks of the metal dragon challenge the booming cannon shots of Aria's attacks.

Even when she could only catch glimpses of the battle, it was breathtaking.

She couldn't look away.

So this is what it means...

The battle lasted less than a minute, thirty seconds at most, but it felt like an eternity.

To be a strong mage.

Juvia stared, transfixed, as the battle came to a head. The metallic body of Dregg's dragon creaked so horribly it sounded like a scream. The high-pitched screech washed over the city before a blast of air blew apart the dark clouds above, leaving a hole in the blue sky—the scattered remains of the metal dragon falling to earth like petals in spring.

Aria floated unscathed amidst falling metal and scraps. Slipping his blindfold back over his eyes, he held a knight in battered armor by the neck.

"Do you yield?" Aria asked, ripping the dented helmet off his opponent's face.

"Don't really got a choice," Dregg coughed up blood, "asshole."

Aria shrugged and slammed his fist into Dregg's nose, knocking him out cold and silencing the fight. The final blow echoed through the sky as reality washed over the unwilling spectators. Until a boy, one of the ones flung off the bridge Dregg had used for his magic, cheered: "He won!"

The crowd erupted in a resounding cheer. Gently lowered to stable footing thanks to Aria's magic, they began celebrating. They were after. Everyone. They cried and laughed now that the battle was over.

'I can show you the sun.'

Juvia couldn't hear it.

It's there... the sun.

It was bright—blindingly bright against a beautiful blue sky. Juvia couldn't take her eyes off it. Until her eyes hurt, she stared at the great sky and the greater sun, blocked out as Aria descended. He reached into Dregg's coat and pulled out a book before tossing Dregg to the nearby rune knights.

"Juvia," Aria said, pocketing the book before floating down to her level, "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Juvia is fine," Juvia said confidently, still trying to look at the sun for a little longer. She might've stared at it till she went blind, but Aria gently covered her eyes before she could and murmured, "I have to leave now. I'm sorry."

Just like that, the sky darkened. Once Aria moved his hands, Juvia saw tempest clouds begin to cover up the hole in the sky. She saw her sun get covered by a grey canvas she was used to.

"Ju- Juvia," Juvia tried to say, her words getting caught as Aria gently put a hand on her head and said, "Don't fret."

Juvia watched quietly as Aria held out a hand, and a bright and powerful bubble of air floated up from it—gently, beautifully—up into the darkening sky—until it was smothered by the clouds that had broken Juvia's moment of peace. She watched.

"This is not the end."

Juvia watched as the rain clouds effortlessly blew apart, leaving a hole in the sky the size of Sun City and revealing the great blue sky behind the darkest rain clouds. The sun warmed her skin and tickled her face, lighting up Sun City for the first time in months.

She smiled, "Thank you," before hugging him, barely able to reach his waist because of his height.

He returned the hug with a gentle hand on her back, "You're welcome."

Juvia laughed, grateful tears dripping down her face as she held onto her giant as long as she could.

Eventually, she had to let go, but before she did, she heard him say, "I found this in the guild I rescued you from." He handed her a blue book, "I planned to give it to Siegrain as a second gift, but I think you'll use it better than he could. Study it well."

The day she met the giant crybaby, she saw the sun.

"Become a good mage, and I promise a time will come when we can meet again."

It didn't rain in Sun City for months after that.

June 20th, x779

High atop the upper levels of Sun City, the slight pitter-patter of the autumn rain tickled Juvia's window. She used the sound as background noise as she finished the book on Water Magic, which her giant left behind. The pages were rough after all the times she'd studied it. The blue cover was worn out, but she treated it gentler than anything else.

Two years had passed since the underworld of Sun City was upended.

New Dark Guilds still fought below, vying for power left behind when the triad disappeared. There were whispers of a new king, but with most dark mages captured two years ago, it was unlikely to grow into something significant.

That's why Juvia was content to read her book, skimming the pages as she practiced her magic in the quiet of her room. A blue magic circle fluttered atop her finger as she let a bubble float past it, the soapy water popping just as her mother called her from downstairs.

"Juvia, honey! You got a letter!" her mother called as Juvia slipped the book into her requip space. She'd learned that magic on the first few pages.

"Yes, mother," Juvia mumbled as her mother entered her room. She walked in wearing a slim blue dress, diamonds on her neck, and high heels. Her mother handed her the letter with a ghost-shaped guild mark stamped on it and smiled, "I know you were looking for a guild to join, but I must say you've outdone yourself. I don't know how you did it, but the guild that invited you is incredibly popular. They're considered the best in Fiore."

Juvia skimmed over the letter, and the rain outside lightened as she saw who it was from.

Dear Juvia,

It has been two years since we met, and there were a few things I didn't tell you.

I am the Ace for a light guild called Phantom Lord. We reside in Oak Town, Fiore, and after seeing your potential, I did not doubt that you could one day become a member. The age limit for recruits is fourteen, but the guild master can and has made exceptions to this rule in the past.

I believe you are such an exception, and upon my recommendation, the guild master has agreed to let you join early. However, it is on the condition that you partake in an event he has planned for the guild. I can't share any details, but it takes place on August 13th. If you decide to join Phantom Lord, you must be in Oak Town by that date and participate; there are no alternatives.

Despite how scary that might sound, fear not, for I can assure you the guild master is reasonable... to a certain extent. His old pupil is watching me write this now and vehemently disagrees, but regardless, the guild master is aware of your presence, so if I am not there when you arrive, show him this letter. His name is Jose Porla. He will handle the rest.

Juvia quirked her eyebrow as the penmanship suddenly changed. It was no longer as elegant or cursive as Aria's. Instead, it was printed and rushed.

Hey, This is the 'old pupil' he was talking about. Fair warning: Aria's absurdly nice, so don't believe a word he says about Jose. The dude's an ass.

Juvia giggled as Aria's penmanship returned.

Apologies. He lied and said he would write a greeting to welcome you. His name is Vera. He is one of the exceptions I talked about. Hopefully, you will meet the others if you decide to join.

I hope to see you soon.

Sincerely, Aria.

Juvia smiled warmly as she finished the letter, closing the invitation and the funny message before putting it into her requip space. She already knew she would reread it later since it was the first gift she had gotten from Aria since the book.

It's been so long...

It had been two years since her giant left her behind. Sometimes, Juvia wondered if it was a dream. A beautiful memory that she could get lost in.

"I know it's a lot to ask, honey," her mother said. "But if you can make S class, it would be really great for your father and me. You'll do it, won't you? Spread the family name. For us?"

Juvia thought about what it would be like to see her giant again, and the rain outside stopped.